Hello from Leicestershire,My name is Colin, I recently left a major bedroom retail company that I was sub contract fitting for, for 12 1/2 years. I'm currently trying to set my double garage up as a workshop. I can get my hands on a plentyful supply of pallets, so plenty of projects up my sleeve already. I've been looking at and wondering which kind of CAD system to use (sketch up), and also if anyone can recommend a good cut list app or software? I hope this little introduction is ok, hopefully when I've got the garage in a way that is except able for the craftsmen among you, then some photos might appear of said projects up said sleeve!CheersColin.

Welcome to the forum. The rather annoying post approval system will go away after another couple of posts.

I'm only a Sketchup novice but we have a real expert tutor on the forum in Dave R and I'm sure he will be able to help you.

Bob

PS if you want to edit your profile to show your name and location, it will appear on each post and can help other members local to you possible offer help.If you let AndyP know the first half of your postcode, he can put you on the members map.

Do you have any CAD or technical drawing experience already? Just asking as it helps giving advice at the right level....

Sketchup has a learning hurdle the same as any CAD system. Big advantage with it is that it is free for home use. There are a lot more buttons on the pro (paid for) version but so far I've not needed them and the free version is fine for me.

Hi, thanks for the welcome No previous CAD experience at all, I'm not really computer minded......it might be a blessing as it will mean I'm not being blinded by any other software. All I'm after is something really easy to draw boxes and shapes for projects, and maybe the occasional exploded drawing!

You're probably not going to find anything easier than Sketchup and being free is a major advantage too.

Sketchup works in 3D so if you draw a table leg then that component will be shown as a solid on screen that you can view from all directions and zoom in/out etc. You can get 2D views like you see on conventional drawings if you need them.

Once you have downloaded and installed 'sketchup make' have a play with it, watch some tutorials and come back in the sketchup section here with your questions.

It is well worth the money IMO and will get you started in the right direction. There are some Youtube SketchUp tutorials written by other woodworkers but TBH I think that they send you off in the wrong direction.

Once you've got a bit of experience using SketchUp then these are well worth dipping into.

I read your intro with interest... Due to my business going through a quiet patch (the quietest ever in 5 years - a bit daunting) I've recently started a bit of subbie work for a large bedroom fitting company and I'm just learning they don't like me doing my own work, so I've now given them an ultimatum. May I ask which firm you were sub contracting to - it wasn't old Major Sharpies was it?

I read your intro with interest... Due to my business going through a quiet patch (the quietest ever in 5 years - a bit daunting) I've recently started a bit of part-time subbie work for a large bedroom fitting company and I'm just learning they don't like me doing my own work, so I've now given them an ultimatum. May I ask which firm you were sub contracting to - it wasn't old Major Sharpies was it?

That seems highly unreasonable Paul especially as it is only part time and sub contract work. I doubt that they guarantee you a fixed number of hours.When I was full time employed, I ran a part time sole trader business (in a completely different field) as well and the only stipulation that my employers made stick (after a bit of a hoo ha with the HR droids) was that I could not trade with any of their customers. What I did in my free time was nothing to do with them as long as it did not affect my ability to perform their work.

Their work is a commissioned percentage of the job's nett value, so it's price work. When I attended the interview with the Field Manager, he was aware I also had my own business and that it will get busy again. He was fine with this and said is all they ask is to give them 2 weeks notice to take time out and it's best to do at least 1 job every 2-3 weeks to stay in the system. He also said they don't have a problem with fitters turning up in their own sign written vans and if a customer asks the fitter to price up extra work (providing it's not a bedroom suite), they don't have any issues with that either. This was also said on the assessment course as well. I thought it sounds like a good package - although the prices are very tight.

I've heard on the street so to speak, the firm are not happy when fitters take time out to do their own work. I've now tested the waters and as I need to concentrate on my business, I've offered to fit 1 job a week (that's 2 days approx) so I can get on with my business. The reality is they don't like this and have now given me an extremely vague ultimatum. I've since thought about it and have now given them an ultimatum which is sticking to my original offer.

The firm's turnover of chippies is extremely high. When I started the assessment course, there were 19 of us. By the Thursday, there were 12 left - the other 7 were sent home. Two weeks after the course, there were about 5 of us left. To date, I think there are 3 of us left and this could be reducing to just 1 very soon.

OK Paul, Yes I had got the wrong end of the stick. Maybe given the amout of effort they go through in assessment and the relatively low acceptance/survival rate, they want a greater proportion of time from their subbies.

Yes, you could be right. I know the course will be part Government funded and they probably have other allowances to make it cost effective. I still don't get it though... If they paid the chippies a bit more to make each job worth their while without having to work 14 hard hours a day, I would have thought their turnover of chippies would dramatically reduce and the need of regular assessment courses for new chippies would also dramatically reduce in numbers. It all seems back-to-front to me, but these guys are turning over 1.6 million a week and they are obviously clued up with every single particle of the business, the market etc.

A bit late Colin, but a warm welcome from me too. I've added you to the members map.

Looking forward to seeing the workshop progress and the projects flow.

cheers

Andy

if images are not visible on my posts it is because Photobucket withdrew their free hosting service. I will reload images to the most recent threads in due course. Please drop me a PM if you would like to see anything before then

Hi Pinch, sorry for the lateness in responding. The company I use to irk for was " Hammonds Bedrooms", I did start working 5 days a week for them, but gradually over the years it went down to just two days a week out of choice on my part. Like you said about the place you subbied for, they didn't really like you doing your own work especially when it was bedrooms, but as it was a stipulation that you had to be self employed. They have no issues with you doing your on work, as long as you could give them enough notice to them to book work in and around you. I eventually left due to money goalposts kept on moving!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the stipulations on returning back to a job to finish off if parts where missing/wrong/not ordered that kind of thing because of the new consumer law regulations that came in last October, was just a proper pain in the *.

Had some good years and made some good money working for them and got an awfull lot of private work from it but now it's time for me to do my stuff.

Unfortunately I had my garage done over 6 weeks ago and had £3500 worth of tools stolen!!!!!!